Written Answers Tuesday 1 February 2005

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult on the changes planned to the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: The consultation on that scheme begins today and full details of our proposals will be contained within the consultation paper.

  Copies of the consultation paper, Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme Consultation on Proposals for a Revised Scheme & the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Consolidation (Scotland) Scheme 2005, have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35085). The consultation paper is also available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current.

Ambulance Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance call-outs there were from the (a) Clydebank and (b) Milngavie and Bearsden area in the last 12 months.

Mr Andy Kerr: The number of ambulance call-outs from these areas between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004 were as follows:

  

 
Emergency Responses - 999 calls categorised as A (life-threatening) and
B (serious but not life-threatening)
Urgent Calls - GPs requesting patient transfer by A&E vehicle


Clydebank
2,508
733


Milngavie
641
282


Bearsden
1,060
545

Antisocial Behaviour

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many antisocial behaviour orders have been applied for and granted in each year since 2001, broken down by local authority.

Hugh Henry: Information on numbers of antisocial behaviour orders applied for and granted in each local authority area in the period 1 December 2000 to 31 March 2004 is provided in the following table.

  

Local Authority
01/12/00 – 30/11/01
01/12/01 – 30/11/02
01/12/02 – 31/03/031
01/4/03 – 31/03/042


Applied
Granted
Applied
Granted
Applied
Granted
Applied
Granted


Aberdeen City
9
9
7
6
3
3
12
12


Aberdeenshire
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0


Angus
2
0
0
0
1
0
2
1


Argyll and Bute
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


City of Edinburgh
16
9
1
1
0
0
15
6


Clackmannanshire
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0
0
2
1
2
0
13
14


Dundee City
10
8
4
3
4
3
26
20


East Ayrshire
1
0
2
0
3
2
6
4


East Dunbartonshire
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


East Lothian
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
2


East Renfrewshire
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1


Falkirk
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
2


Fife
14
14
25
20
5
2
16
14


Glasgow
5
5
3
3
1
0
6
2


Highland
1
0
5
4
0
0
9
3


Inverclyde
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0


Midlothian
1
0
1
1
0
0
4
3


Moray 
3
2
3
2
1
1
3
3


North Ayrshire
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1


North Lanarkshire
14
5
16
15
19
12
40
31


Orkney Islands
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
1


Perth and Kinross
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0


Renfrewshire
2
2
4
2
3
0
10
4


Scottish Borders 
9
3
4
4
4
1
13
9


Shetland Islands 
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1


South Ayrshire
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0


South Lanarkshire
4
2
9
5
11
0
20
7


Stirling 
1
0
1
1
2
1
15
6


West Dunbartonshire
5
5
4
2
4
2
3
3


West Lothian
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
0


Total
100
66
93
72
64
27
237
150



  Sources: Data up to March 2003: Chartered Institute of Housing Survey.

  Data from April 2004: DTZ Pieda Survey.

  Notes:

  1. This is not a full year. The reporting period has been changed to 1 April to 31 March. The figures in this column cover the transitional period while this change was being made.

  2. This is the number of full ASBOs in each local authority area, including applications by registered social landlords (RSLs). Interim ASBOs and the power for RSLs to apply for orders came into effect on 27 June 2003.

Autism

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for improving services for adults with autistic spectrum disorders.

Rhona Brankin: The Public Health Institute of Scotland’s Autistic Spectrum (ASD) Disorders Needs Assessment Report is the strategy for the development of ASD services in Scotland. Last week I launched a key component of this as it relates to adults with ASD, by opening the Glasgow Autism Resource Centre. This is one of three pilot projects designed to develop multi-agency models of service delivery, the lessons of which will be rolled out across Scotland in due course.

Blood Transfusion Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many blood donors have been (a) lost and (b) recruited by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service since the statement on variant CJD by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 17 March 2004.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has reported that 9,500 donors have been deferred since the introduction of the deferral policy announced on 17 March 2004. However, following the implementation by SNBTS of an effective marketing and publicity strategy the number of active donors has increased by over 2% from 194,250 to 199,003.

  I would take this opportunity to remind everyone that it is important not to lose sight of the key role that blood donations play in providing essential treatment and saving lives. It is essential that people come forward and regularly donate blood.

Communities

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy on social capital.

Malcolm Chisholm: The importance of promoting and developing social capital: broadly defined as the skills, confidence, support networks and resources of local people, was highlighted as part of the Scottish Executive’s community regeneration statement, Better Communities in Scotland: closing the gap .

  Since then, the Executive has provided resources to support a wide range of community engagement activity which can contribute to building social capital in the most disadvantaged communities.

Crime

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has to link deprivation in communities with crime and family breakdown.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is a substantial body of evidence linking deprivation with crime and family breakdown available to the Executive. The evidence comes primarily from regular statistical surveys such as the British Crime Survey (BCS) and its Scottish equivalent, the Scottish Crime Survey (SCS), and from research on neighbourhood deprivation, social exclusion and poverty, undertaken at research centres across the UK, including research funded by the Executive on Life in Low Income Families, published in 2003.

  The BCS has consistently revealed that individuals living in deprived neighbourhoods are more likely to register higher levels of victimisation and fear of crime than those living in less deprived neighbourhoods. The SCS confirms these findings for a range of crimes such as vehicle crime, violent crime and domestic abuse.

  Research on poverty and social exclusion continues to draw attention not only to the extent of income and material deprivation experienced in poor families but also to the social consequences for the families concerned, including family breakdown.

Dentistry

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12347 by Rhona Brankin on 1 December 2004, how other areas will be considered for "designated area" status in respect of recruitment allowances for dentists.

Rhona Brankin: If an NHS board wishes consideration to be given to classifying all or part of its area as a "designated area" then the board should make a written request, providing justification for such classification, to my officials.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of manufacturing employment was in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Dundee, (e) Glasgow and (f) Stirling in each quarter since January 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: Table 1 contains data on the level of manufacturing employment in Scotland, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling in each quarter since January 2001.

  Data contained within the table are estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics. The LFS measures all those in employment including employees, family workers and self employed people. The LFS is a household survey, so the estimates reflect where people live rather than where they work.

  Table 1: Level of Manufacturing Employment, by Specified Local Authority, for each Quarter since January 2001.

  

 
Scotland
Aberdeen
Dundee
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Stirling


2001
Spring
338,000
10,000
10,000
21,000
23,000
5,000


Summer
336,000
12,000
13,000
23,000
25,000
5,000


Autumn
330,000
13,000
12,000
21,000
27,000
7,000


Winter
327,000
10,000
11,000
21,000
26,000
5,000


2002
Spring
310,000
11,000
11,000
17,000
26,000
3,000


Summer
322,000
11,000
12,000
19,000
28,000
6,000


Autumn
329,000
9,000
11,000
17,000
26,000
7,000


Winter
306,000
9,000
11,000
16,000
22,000
4,000


2003
Spring
295,000
6,000
11,000
15,000
18,000
4,000


Summer
295,000
7,000
10,000
15,000
17,000
3,000


Autumn
307,000
6,000
11,000
17,000
22,000
4,000


Winter
286,000
7,000
10,000
17,000
18,000
4,000


2004
Spring
282,000
10,000
9,000
17,000
16,000
3,000


Summer
284,000
11,000
10,000
17,000
16,000
3,000



  Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS), not seasonally adjusted.

  Estimates below 10,000 (marked in italics) are considered statistically unreliable due to small sample sizes.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs were lost in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Dundee, (e) Glasgow and (f) Stirling in each quarter since January 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: Statistics on the total number of jobs lost are not held centrally.

  However, data is available on the change in the level of manufacturing jobs.

  Table 1 – Quarterly change in the level of manufacturing jobs.

  

 
Scotland


Jun 04 - Sep 04
-2,070


Mar 04 - Jun 04
690


Dec 03 - Mar 04
-4,670


Sep 03 - Dec 03
-3,210


Jun 03 - Sep 03
-4,910


Mar 03 - Jun 03
-5,300


Dec 02 - Mar 03
-6,430


Sep 02 - Dec 02
-6,750


Jun 02 - Sep 02
-3,830


Mar 02 - Jun 02
-2,820


Dec 01 - Mar 02
-8,210


Sep 01 - Dec 01
-6,700


Jun 01 - Sep 01
-3,580


Mar 01 - Jun 01
-1,480


Dec 00 - Mar 01
-5,300


Sep 00 - Dec 00
-1,790


Jun 00 - Sep 00
-1,550


Mar 00 - Jun 00
-3,520



  Source: Quarterly Employee Jobs.

  This information is not available quarterly for geographies below Scotland level. However, annual data is available from Annual Business Inquiry, which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

  Table 2: Annual Change in level of manufacturing jobs

  

 
1999-2000
2000-01
2002-01
2002-03


Scotland
-12,980
-17,020
-21,640
-19,860


Aberdeen
-610
440
-730
-2,910


Edinburgh
-2,140
-2,640
-880
-2,300


Dundee
-260
30
-1900
680


Glasgow
-1,110
300
-2,710
-1,900


Stirling
-430
-80
-660
-160



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people, and what percentage of the workforce, were employed in the manufacturing industry in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Dundee, (e) Glasgow and (f) Stirling in each year since 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: Table 1 reports the number of employees in the manufacturing industry in the areas requested each year since 1999.

  Table 2 reports the percentage of the workforce employed in the manufacturing industry in the areas requested each year since 1999.

  The estimates in both tables are from the Annual Business Inquiry employee analysis (1999-2003).

  Table 1: Number of People Employed in the Manufacturing Industry, 1999-2003

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


Scotland
315,000
302,000
285,000
263,400
243,500


Aberdeen
15,400
14,800
15,200
14,500
11,600


Dundee
11,300
11,100
11,100
9,200
9,900


Edinburgh
22,700
20,500
17,900
17,000
14,700


Glasgow
31,100
30,000
30,300
27,600
25,700


Stirling
3,500
3,000
2,900
2,300
2,100



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry (ABI).

  Table 2: % of Workforce Employed in the Manufacturing Industry, 1999-2003

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


Scotland
15%
14%
12%
12%
11%


Aberdeen
9%
9%
9%
9%
7%


Dundee
18%
16%
15%
13%
13%


Edinburgh
8%
7%
6%
6%
5%


Glasgow
9%
8%
8%
7%
7%


Stirling
9%
7%
7%
6%
6%



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry (ABI).

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs have been created through inward investment in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Dundee, (e) Glasgow, (f) Inverness and (g) Stirling in each year since 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: Statistics on the number of jobs created through inward investment are not held centrally. However, data is available on the change in the level of manufacturing jobs.

  Table 1: Annual change in level of manufacturing jobs

  

 
2002-03


Scotland
-19,860


Aberdeen
-2,910


Edinburgh
-2,300


Dundee
680


Glasgow
-1,900


Highland
-1,080


Stirling
-160



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

  The most recent year information is available is for 2003 and data is not available for Inverness but is available for Highland Council area.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing-based companies have outsourced jobs to (a) the rest of the United Kingdom, (b) outwith the United Kingdom in (i) Scotland, (ii) Aberdeen, (iii) Edinburgh, (iv) Dundee, (v) Glasgow and (vi) Stirling in each year since 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Enterprise

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage trade between Japan and Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scottish Development International (and predecessor organisations) have maintained an office in Japan since the 1980’s. SDI currently fields a staff of four officials, who are active in assisting Scottish companies seeking to establish and develop commercial opportunities and partnerships in Japan; seeking out potential inward investors to Scotland, developing their knowledge of opportunities for trade and partnership with Scottish companies; disseminating information on Scottish industry’s strengths, and assisting the development of the globalscot network in Japan.

  SDI Japan assist Scottish companies (individually or as part of trade missions) by identifying potential partner/customer companies, arranging meetings and when requested attending meetings in support of company officials. Recent activities have supported Scottish companies from a range of sectors, including textiles, food and drink, energy, computer software, educational provision and aerospace.

  I visited Japan in October 2003 and saw at first hand the valuable work being undertaken by SDI there.

Enterprise

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to recognise the importance of Thomas Blake Glover in the development of Japanese industry.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to directly recognise the contribution made by Thomas Blake Glover to the development of Japanese industry.

  Notwithstanding this, Mr Glover’s historical significance is acknowledged by Scottish Executive officials responsible for developing trade and investment between Scotland and Japan, and where appropriate circumstances arise reference is made to his contribution to Japanese industry. VisitScotland is considering a number of future tourism development opportunities in Aberdeenshire. The recognition of Mr Glover and of the Glover House Museum is one of these opportunities. While VisitScotland has no immediate plans to develop this, the situation will be kept under review.

Enterprise

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to the Grampian Japan trust which looks after Thomas Blake Glover’s house in Aberdeen.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not currently provide any support to the Grampian Japan Trust.

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many businesses are expected to be registered for VAT in Scotland in 2014-15 (a) assuming nil inflation and unchanged rules or (b) otherwise.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not provide forecasts of the number of businesses expected to register for VAT in the future. These figures will depend on the future development of a wide range of economic and legislative factors, in Scotland and elsewhere, which cannot be foreseen.

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies it expects to be registered in Scotland in 2014-15.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not provide forecasts of the number of businesses expected to register as companies in the future. These figures will depend on the future development of a wide range of economic and legislative factors, in Scotland and elsewhere, which cannot be foreseen.

Environment

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the eco schools programme continues to expand with the support of the eco schools team within Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Ross Finnie: The Executive intends to continue funding the Eco Schools programme with £125,000 per year, for the next three years, from the Education Department and £100,000 per year, for the next three years, through the Environment and Rural Affairs Department. This represents significant funding for a programme that has the potential to make an important contribution to the development of active citizenship and informing young people about the importance of sustainable development.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in standardising and making more rigorous the Environmental Impact Assessment for new fish farms or significant extensions of existing fish farms, as recommended by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 5th Report 2002: Report on Phase 1 of the Inquiry into Aquaculture .

Lewis Macdonald: COSLA is currently undertaking a review of the quality of fish farm Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). The Review of EIAs is a priority for action in the Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture. COSLA hopes to publish a report for wider consultation in the Spring of this year, and thereafter to issue guidance to developers and regulators on the minimum standards expected from fish farm EIAs.

Further and Higher Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tertiary level students received financial support from public funds in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: Higher Education (HE)

  Data on student support in higher education is collected by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). The following table shows the number of HE students who received financial support (either tuition fee, loan or grant support) from public funds for the period 1999-2000 to 2003-04:

  

Academic Year
Students Receiving Support


1999-2000
105,529


2000-01
115,878


2001-02
119,866


2002-03
121,081


2003-04
121,855



  Further Education (FE)

  Data on students in Further Education is collected and held by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC). The following table shows the number of FE students who received financial support from public funds for the period 1998-99 to 2002-03, the latest year for which data is available:

  

Academic Year
Students Receiving a Bursary


1998-99
28,049


1999-2000
32,562


2000-01
31,587


2001-02
34,846


2002-03
35,959



  A number of students receive no bursary, but do receive financial support through the Further Education Hardship Fund, Young Students Retention Fund or Childcare Fund. Data on this group is not held centrally.

Further and Higher Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tertiary level students who have received financial support from public funds have suspended or terminated their studies, without gaining the qualification studied for, in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: Data on student support in Higher Education is collected by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). The following table shows the number of HE students who withdrew from their studies without gaining the qualification studied for, having received financial support from public funds, for the period 1999-00 to 2003-04:

  Higher Education

  

Academic Year
Students Withdrawn Having Received Support


1999-2000
5,458


2000-01
6,305


2001-02
6,616


2002-03
4,838


2003-04
6,734



  Data for further education is not held centrally.

Further and Higher Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students it expects will be studying for tertiary level qualifications in 2014-15.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not provide forecasts of the number of students expected to be recruited in Scotland in the future. These figures will depend on a number of different factors, such as demographic change, future skills needs, economic conditions and the impact of local, national and international policies on demand.

Further and Higher Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many lecturers it expects to be employed in Scotland in 2014-15 in (a) universities, (b) colleges of further education and (c) other institutions offering tertiary level qualifications.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not provide forecasts of the number of lecturers expected to be employed in Scotland in the future. Specific decisions on staffing levels lie with individual institutions and are driven by a number of factors including demographic change, economic conditions and the impact of local, national and international policies on demand.

Further and Higher Education

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is given to efficiency in awarding funding allocations to further and higher education institutions.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils, however, I understand that funding is based on units of resource applied to a fixed target of activity. This provides a strong incentive for institutions to be efficient. If costs are too high then management must produce efficiencies since the council will not condone poor quality or volume below target.

Further and Higher Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school leavers in West Dunbartonshire left school and attained a higher qualification at a further or higher education institution, compared with the national average, in each of the last five years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive does not hold data which could be used to track individual school leavers through further and higher education institutions.

  However, the following table gives the percentages of school leavers from publicly funded schools in West Dunbartonshire entering full-time higher education for the years 1999-2000 to 2003-04 and the same percentages for Scotland as a whole.

  Percentage of School Leavers Entering Full-Time Higher Education

  

Year
West Dunbartonshire
Scotland


1999-2000
30% 
32%


2000-01
26% 
32%


2001-02
29%
32%


2002-03
29%
31%


2003-04
24%
29%



  Source: Careers Scotland.

  The following table provides estimates of the numbers of young graduates (aged under 25) from higher education courses at higher education (HE) institutions and further education colleges in Scotland whose domicile was recorded as being in West Dunbartonshire and for those domiciled in Scotland. These estimates are for the years 1998-99 to 2002-03 (the latest year for which data are available at present).

  Estimates of HE Graduates (Excluding Postgraduates) Aged Under 25 by Level of Study

  

 
West Dunbartonshire
Scotland


First Degree
Other HE
First Degree
Other HE


1998-99
130
230
13,039
13,058


1999-2000
198
235
14,726
13,418


2000-01
185
229
14,401
12,280


2001-02
183
177
13,965
10,597


2002-03
242
212
13,687
10,344



  Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

  Note: Estimates prior to 2001-02 in the "Other HE" category differ from those from 2001-02 onwards due to improvements in the data collection for graduates from further education colleges. However, the 2001-02 and 2002-03 figures should still be regarded as estimates rather than actual numbers.

General Practitioners

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many general medical practitioners it expects to be employed in 2014-15.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS board-employed status, as opposed to independent contractor status, became a mainstream contractual option for general medical practitioners through the new General Medical Services Contract, implemented from April 2004.

  The future number of general medical practitioners who may be employed by NHS boards is dependent upon the commissioning arrangements which NHS boards put in place for their primary medical services. However, it is anticipated that employed status might develop particularly in rural and remote areas and for out-of-hours services.

  The number of general medical practitioners who provide NHS services in 2014-15 will also be affected by changes in the way that primary medical services are delivered over the next ten years, which in turn will be affected by changes in the demand placed on the NHS, by the changing balance between primary and secondary care, by changes in skill mix in the workforce, and by developments in medical practice. This makes it impracticable to project a precise number ten years ahead.

  However, work is underway to make longer term projections for general medical practitioners as part of the national workforce planning process and preparation for the next National Workforce Plan, which is expected to be published in spring 2005.

Health

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether introducing two-view mammography for breast screening will lead to an increase in the numbers of cancers detected early, as appears to be the case in England and Wales.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether introducing two-view mammography for breast screening will lead to lower recall rates, as appears to be the case in England and Wales.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has examined the cost effectiveness of introducing two-view mammography for breast screening as compared to a single view mammography, in line with England and Wales.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce two-view mammography as a standard method of screening for breast cancer, in line with England and Wales.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the Member to the answer to question S2W-13438 on 21 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Hepatitis

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a detailed review of the resources and finance needed to address the hepatitis C epidemic which includes a comparison with the current level of resources.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has commissioned Health Protection Scotland to estimate the current and future burden of hepatitis C virus-related disease in Scotland over the next two decades. Further work is also being commissioned to identify how much it will cost NHSScotland to care for individuals infected with hepatitis C and how cost-effective different approaches to hepatitis C case finding and treatment would be.

Higher Education

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish-domiciled students are attending universities in England and Wales in the academic year 2004-05 and what the cost to it would be of meeting their tuition fees in the same way as for those attending universities in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: In 2002-03, there were 6,303 Scottish-domiciled students studying for first degrees in higher education institutions in England and Wales. This is the most recent year for which data are available at present. Tuition fees in England were £1,150 per student for the year 2004-05.

  It is difficult to accurately estimate the additional total cost of providing non-means tested free tuition to Scottish students studying in England. The actual cost for the individual can vary depending on the family income levels of students The possible liability for meeting the cost of providing free tuition to EU students studying in England would be a significant addition.

Hospitals

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are currently placed in the secure unit at Stobhill Hospital and whether the unit is operating at capacity.

Rhona Brankin: Building work on the secure unit at Stobhill is due to start in the spring of this year. The new facility will have 74 beds to accommodate a mix of patients requiring medium and low secure care.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12962 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 December 2004, which interested parties were invited to discuss the relevant issues on affordable housing; which interested parties participated in such discussions, and what form these discussions took.

Malcolm Chisholm: We engaged with a range of stakeholders who have an interest in the delivery of affordable housing through the planning system. These included officials in COSLA, selected local authorities – both planning and housing – and housing providers including Homes for Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

  We met with some of the stakeholders, but the majority provided views through written comments.

Housing

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made to assist local authorities and other housing providers with the costs of maintaining multi-storey blocks that are more than 35-years old; whether there are national guidelines on dilapidation assessments of such blocks, and whether the need to replace such housing is taken fully into account in determining the pattern of need for affordable housing.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The responsibility for maintaining multi-storey blocks that are more than 35-years old rests with the landlord and it is for them to determine how best to deploy available resources taking account of local stock condition and housing needs.

  Ministers have set 2015 as the target date for local authorities and registered social landlords to achieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) and have asked these landlords to submit standard delivery plans for meeting the Standard to Communities Scotland by April 2005. The standard delivery plans must identify the current condition of the stock. Detailed guidance has been issued in relation to a range of criteria for the SHQS. Landlords are required to identify a programme of works in order to achieve the standard and set forth the level of investment required to carry out these works, including the source of the required revenue. The standard delivery plans will therefore identify landlords plans for multi-storey blocks more than 35-years old.

  The need to replace such housing will be taken into account in determining the pattern of need for affordable housing. This will be done through local authorities’ local housing strategies which should ask a number of key questions, including whether the existing stock (public and private) is being managed to best effect, and whether there are management solutions, based on that stock, to existing or emerging housing problems. The strategies should then present actions on how this will be tackled.

Industry

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of manufacturing output was in each quarter since January 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: The table details the Gross Value Added (GVA) index for the manufacturing sector. For more detailed information and further explanation of the figures, refer to the GDP website:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/gdp.

  GVA in the Scottish Manufacturing Sector: 2003 Q1 – 2004 Q3

  

Quarter
Index (2001=100)
% Growth on Previous Quarter


2003 Q1
90.9
0.2%


2003 Q2
90.2
-0.7%


2003 Q3
89.7
-0.6%


2003 Q4
90.9
1.3%


2004 Q1
91.1
0.2%


2004 Q2
90.9
-0.2%


2004 Q3
89.9
-1.1%

Justice

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review property law to take account of the needs of Sharia law.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has no current plans to review property law to take account of Sharia law.

NHS 24

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many priority one calls were received by NHS 24 over the Christmas and New Year period.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average response time was by NHS 24 to priority one calls over the Christmas and New Year period.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum waiting time was for a priority one call to be dealt with by NHS 24 over the Christmas and New Year period.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended maximum waiting time is for NHS 24 to deal with priority one calls.

Mr Andy Kerr: On those occasions when a significant number of calls are being received by NHS 24, the organisation will implement a system of call-back. Calls are prioritised as follows:

  

Life Threatening
Calls go straight through to the Scottish Ambulance Service for a 999 dispatch


Red Calls
Calls which are urgent and go straight through to a nurse for immediate assessment


Priority 1
Call back target within 60 minutes (as agreed by clinicians working within NHS 24)


Priority 2
Call back target within 120 minutes (as agreed by clinicians working within NHS 24)



  NHS 24 clinicians have agreed a target of 60 minutes within which nurse advisers should call back priority one calls. Where it is clear that the target is not going to be met, a call handler will call back to check that the patient’s condition has not changed or deteriorated in any way, and any information coming back from the caller is fed into the system which is constantly monitored by clinicians. If the patient’s condition has worsened, the caller is immediately passed to a nurse adviser.

  The festive period – the first in which NHS 24 had been fully operational and provided the access point for out of hours services across Scotland - was very busy with more than double the usual number of calls being handled and call-back arrangements were implemented on a number of occasions. Between Christmas Day and 4 January, NHS 24 received 89,700 calls, with 13,473 of these being dealt with as priority one call backs. The average time taken by nurse advisers to call back priority one calls over the period was 25 minutes. The longest time to call back a priority one call over the period was 274 minutes, on 28 December, although safety calls were made to that caller to check on the patient’s condition.

  As well as receiving daily status reports over the festive period on the position of NHS 24 and the out of hours services it supported, the Health Department also received a report on how the service had performed at the end of the period. A further wash-up report is expected once NHS 24 and the health boards have identified learning points coming out of the performance over the winter period.

NHS Waiting Times

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the waiting time was for orthopaedic treatment in Greater Glasgow; whether waiting times have increased or decreased in the last year, and what steps it is taking to reduce such waiting times (a) in Greater Glasgow and (b) across Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on waiting times for orthopaedic in-patient and day case treatment for 30 September 2003 and 2004 for NHS Greater Glasgow and NHSScotland is provided in the following table.

  FAIR TO ALL, PERSONAL TO EACH – The next steps for NHSScotland launched on 15 December 2004, sets out specific plans to tackle waiting times and introduces a number of new waiting times targets, backed by substantial financial investment. From the end of 2007, the maximum waiting time for a first outpatient appointment will be 18 weeks and the maximum wait for hospital treatment will also be 18 weeks. These targets will be delivered through implementation of service redesign and new ways of working, increasing NHS capacity, particularly the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, and by working with the independent health care sector.

  Last month, NHS Greater Glasgow signed a contract with BMI Healthcare which will see a 1,000 orthopaedic patients being assessed and treated at Nuffield and Ross Hall Hospitals. The patients will be seen within the first three months of this year and will receive their subsequent surgery before September 2005.

  The following table shows the median waiting times for orthopaedic in-patient and day case treatment for the years ending 30 September 2003 and 2004: and the number of patients with a guarantee waiting more than six months for in-patient and day case treatment on 30 September 2003 and 2004.

  

 
2003
2004


Median Wait+ : Year Ending 30 September
 
 


NHS Greater Glasgow
113 days
108 days


NHSScotland
106 days
113 days


Number of Patients Waiting More than 6 months* on 30 September
 
 


NHS Greater Glasgow
587
436


NHSScotland
2,512
2,416



  Notes:

  +All patients - including patients excluded from the waiting times guarantee.

  *Patients with a waiting times guarantee only. Excludes patients exempted from the guarantee.

National Health Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from NHS Greater Glasgow regarding the cost implications of initiatives such as Agenda for Change, the new consultant contract and the General Medical Services contract.

Mr Andy Kerr: No formal representations have been received.

National Health Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of full-time consultants have increased their contracted time devoted to direct patient care from 21 hours per week to at least 30 hours per week as a consequence of the new consultant contract.

Mr Andy Kerr: The new consultant contract increases the contracted weekly time for direct clinical care from a nominal 21 hours per week (six fixed sessions) under the old contract to a nominal 30 (7.5 programmed activities) under the new contract. Guidance has been issued to NHS employers making it clear that it is expected that all full-time consultants should be agreeing job plans which should have at least 7.5 programme activities devoted to direct clinical care unless there are specific circumstances or responsibilities which would justify a different balance of work between direct clinical care and other activities.

  The average number of extra programmed activities across Scotland is 1.6. These are allocated to direct clinical care. This implies that on average 6.4 additional nominal hours have gone into direct clinical care over and above the normal contracted 30 hours.

National Health Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measurable improvements are being delivered as a direct consequence of the job-planning process introduced under the new consultant contract.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has quantifiable evidence of increased capacity to improve services to patients as a result of the new consultant contract.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can provide evidence of the re-design of services being taken forward as a result of the introduction of the consultant contract.

Mr Andy Kerr: The new consultant contract was introduced on 1 April 2004. Some consultants are still completing their job plans and the contract is therefore not yet fully implemented.

  We will be asking health boards to provide evidence of the realisation of a range of benefits under the new contract, including service re-design, once the contract is fully operational and as part of the normal performance management arrangements.

Nursing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses it expects to be employed in 2014-15.

Mr Andy Kerr: The number of nurses required to provide NHS services in 2014-15 will be subject to changes in the way services are delivered over the next ten years.

  Work is underway to project the number of nurses and midwives required in 10 years time as part of the national workforce planning process and preparation for the next National Workforce Plan, which is expected to be published in spring 2005.

  A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership Agreement sets out the Scottish Executive’s commitment to delivering excellent public services in Scotland, a number of which are specific to health. One of these is to attract 12,000 nurses and midwives into the NHS by 2007 which we remain on track to achieve and surpass.

Residential Care

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many citizens it expects will require residential care in Scotland in 2014-15.

Rhona Brankin: The First Report for the Range and Capacity Review: Projections of Community Care Service Users, Workforce and Costs , published by the Executive in 2004 provides various projections of the number of people likely to require residential care in the future. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33354).

  The publication is also available on the web, URL as follows:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/pccswc-00.asp.

Scotland Act 1998

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the changes that have been made since 10 September 2002, or are in the process of being made, to Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998.

Ms Margaret Curran: Since 10 September 2002, one order has been made to amend schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998, which is as follows. A further two draft orders to amend schedule 5 are currently being considered by both the Scottish and UK Parliaments:

  S.I. 2004/3329 The Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedule 5) Order 2004. A copy of this order can be found in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. Number 34968).

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will now publish the estimated total cost of the relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to Inverness and, if not, when it expects to be in a position to publish these costs.

Lewis Macdonald: SNH is currently finalising its relocation project plan to include up to date cost estimates. The plan will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre as soon as possible (Bib. number 35157).

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was originally due to have been fully implemented and when it now expects full implementation to take place.

Lewis Macdonald: In line with Scottish Executive Policy, SNH undertook a relocation review as a result of one of its buildings reaching a lease break in March 2005. Since Scottish ministers issued a direction to SNH in September 2003, SNH has been working to a timetable of procuring a new HQ building in Inverness by April 2006 with relocation taking place shortly thereafter.

Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which major transport projects it plans to complete between 2007-08 and 2020 in the former (a) Glasgow, (b) west of Scotland and (c) Lothians European parliamentary constituency areas and how much it estimates each such project will cost.

Nicol Stephen: The following table lists those major infrastructure projects up to 2012 as published in the White Paper Scotland’s Transport Future , published in June 2004, and costs are estimated. Although there is no West of Scotland European Parliament constituency in practice, the Boundary Commission proposed in 1995 to establish such a constituency, and the following table reflects that. Where a scheme crosses a constituency boundary this is indicated by an asterix. In such a case, no apportionment has been attempted, and the full cost is shown.

  By 2007 we will begin a strategic projects review for all transport modes which will give us the opportunity to consider, plan and prioritise Scotland’s transport infrastructure investment requirements far beyond 2012.

  

Glasgow
 


*Glasgow Airport Rail Link
£140 million


A8 Baillieston-Newhouse
£125 million


A8 Associated Improvements (Raith, Baillieston and Maryville junctions)
£70 million


M74 Land Acquisition and Completion
£390 million


*Airdrie-Bathgate
£220 million


West of Scotland (as proposed)
 


*Glasgow Airport Rail Link
£140 million


Lothians
 


Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
£500 million


Edinburgh Trams
£500 million


Waverley Station Phase 1
£150 million


*Borders Railway
£130 million


*Airdrie-Bathgate
£220 million



  Total capital costs including Scottish Executive, other public sector and private contributions.

Transport

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many major transport projects have been, or will be, completed between 1997-98 and 2006-07, broken down by parliamentary constituency within the Highlands and Islands, North East Scotland and Mid Scotland and Fife.

Nicol Stephen: Those projects funded directly by the Scottish Executive, or the former Scottish Office, with a cost of £3 million or more are as follows:

  Highlands And Islands

  Argyll and Bute

  Oban Terminal and 2nd Linkspan; Redevelopment of Port Askaig; Rothesay Pier; A848 Salen to Tobermory; Dunoon Harbour Breakwater and Linkspan; A828 Creagan Bridge

  Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

  A9 Logie Easter-Garrick Bridge; A9 Helmsdale Phase 2

  Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber

  Eigg Pier; Rhum/Muck Pier; A830 Polnish Bridge-Loch nan Uamh; A86 Rubha na Magach-Aberarder; A830 Arisaig-Kinsadel

  Inverness Airport Terminal

  Moray

  None

  Orkney

  Hatston/Stromness Pier and Terminal; Scrabster Pier and Passenger Facilities

  Ross, Skye and Inverness West

  A890 Achnasheen to Glen Carron

  Shetland

  Holmsgarth Ferry Terminal

  Western Isles (Eilean Siar)

  Eriskay Causeway; Sound of Barra Ferry Infrastructure

  In addition, the Scottish Executive provided funding for 29 new trains which will benefit services to Inverness.

  North East Scotland

  Aberdeen Central

  None

  Aberdeen North

  A944 Lang Stracht

  Aberdeen South

  None

  Angus

  None

  Banff and Buchan

  None

  Dundee East

  None

  Dundee West

  None

  Gordon

  A96 Blackburn-Kintore; A96 Newton Garry/Adamston

  West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

  None

  In addition, the Scottish Executive provided funding for 29 new trains which will benefit services to Aberdeen.

  Funding was also provided to: Aberdeen City Council for Bus Priority and Park and Ride, and Dundee City Council for Smart Bus.

  Mid Scotland And Fife

  Central Fife

  None

  Dunfermline East

  Ferrytoll Expansion; M90 Halbeath Interchange

  Dunfermline West

  A876 Kincardine Eastern Link

  Kirkcaldy

  None

  North East Fife

  None

  North Tayside

  A90 Forfar Grade Separation

  Ochil

  None

  Perth

  A90 Inchmichael Interchange; A90 Inchture Interchange; A90 Kinfauns and Glendoick

  Stirling

  All Change - Point - Forthside

  In addition, the Scottish Executive provided funding for 29 new trains which will benefit services to Fife. Funding was also provided for platform lengthening at a number of stations on the Fife Circle line. Freight Facilities Grant was awarded to provide facilities at Rosyth for ferry services to Zeebrugge.

  Funding was also provided to: Clackmannanshire Council for Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway; Fife Council for Fife Circle Capacity and Access Improvements; Stirling Council for Park and Ride/Access to Stirling, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane, and Fife Council for Interchange and Bus Corridors.

Voluntary Sector

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available to voluntary organisations to celebrate the UK Year of the Volunteer 2005; who will administer this funding, and when the funding programme will commence.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is investing around £100,000 in the Year of the Volunteer 2005. This is being administered by the Scottish Executive. We expect to fund a small number of organisations to deliver the Scottish aims of the Year and funding has already commenced.

Waste Disposal

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much sewage waste Scottish Water expects to dispose of in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods were used by Scottish Water to dispose of sewage in 2004 and what volumes of sewage waste were disposed of through each method.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much sewage waste was treated by Scottish Water at its Daldowie plant in 2004.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of treated sewage waste Scottish Water sold to Scottish Power in 2004 and what the financial value of this waste was.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methods Scottish Water will use to dispose of sewage waste in 2005 and how many tonnes will be disposed of through each method.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what locations Scottish Water used to dispose of sewage waste in 2004; what tonnage was disposed of at each location, and what treatment the waste received prior to its disposal.

Lewis Macdonald: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water. I have asked the Chief Executive to reply to you directly.

Waste Water

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure the correct and timely implementation of EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC in light of the decision by the European Commission on 12 January 2005 to send the United Kingdom a final written warning ordering it to comply with the requirements of the directive in relation to the waste water treatment plant in Lerwick.

Ross Finnie: Discussions are ongoing regarding required investment at the Lerwick waste water treatment plant. The Scottish Executive is contributing to the United Kingdom response to the European Commission’s reasoned opinion.

Water Services

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Water regarding investment in areas facing a high demand for housing.

Lewis Macdonald: I last met the Scottish Water Board on 24 January to discuss a number of matters including those relating to delivery of the current investment programme.